Approximately one-third of students who submit a FAFSA are selected for federal verification each year. Students whose applications are flagged with the V4 and V5 verification codes are required to provide proof of high school completion, identity, and statement of educational purpose. In a normal year, these students are required to provide proof of completion to the financial aid office, in person or via notarized documents. This year, amid the Coronavirus outbreak, the Department of Education (ED) has made temporary adjustments to this requirement.
With most students completing their high school education at home and many high school graduations put on hold, the required documentation to verify a student’s high school completion may be more difficult. Earlier this month, ED released an updated guidance for institutions, which included flexibility to complete this verification with documentation that may already be on file, such as through the admissions office. If such documentation is not available and not accessible to the student, the institution may accept a signed statement from the student attesting to their high school completion. The statement must indicate whether a high school diploma or the equivalent was obtained and date of completion. This update is in effect through December 31, 2020 and applicable for both the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 award years.
In an earlier guidance from April 3, 2020, ED granted flexibilities which suspended the in-person submission and notary requirements through June 30, 2020 for the 2019-2020 award year. The institution may allow a student to submit copies of the required documents electronically to the institution, by uploading a photo of the documents, PDF, or other similar electronic document through a secure school portal, by email, etc.
More information and additional guidance is available in the IFAP announcements from May 15, 2020 and April 3, 2020.
Sources:
IFAP Announcement: UPDATED Guidance for interruptions of study related to Coronavirus (COVID-19) – May 15, 2020
IFAP Announcement: UPDATED Guidance for interruptions of study related to Coronavirus (COVID-19) – April 3, 2020